Poker is a popular wagering game played in casinos and other gaming establishments. Many variants of poker have been developed including, for example, five-card draw, five-card stud, seven-card stud, MISSISSIPPI STUD®, Texas Hold'em, and ULTIMATE TEXAS HOLD'EM®. However, avid players are generally open to, and sometimes specifically seek out, new and more interesting ways to play poker games, particularly when the reward for a winning outcome at the end of a round of play, or the odds of achieving a winning outcome, may be enhanced.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,195,243, issued Mar. 27, 2007, to Kenny et al., discloses a variant of poker in which players place an ante wager against a dealer, against a pay table, or both. Cards are dealt to each player and the dealer, players inspect their cards, and players either make a play wager, which is added to the ante wager, or fold. The dealer's hand must be of a predetermined rank or higher according to the rules of Poker to qualify; otherwise, the player wins the wagers. The wagers are then resolved by comparing each player hand to the dealer hand, which may or may not include all the cards dealt to the players and the dealer, respectively (e.g., by forming a best four-card hand from five cards), comparing the player hand to a pay table, or both. Some additional wagers are also disclosed, including a “bad beat” wager.
As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,216, issued Mar. 10, 1998, to Jones, discloses a variant of poker in which players place a mandatory ante wager against a dealer and may place an optional side wager against a pay table for a progressive jackpot. Cards are dealt to each player and the dealer, with one of the dealer cards dealt face up, and players inspect their cards and the face-up dealer card. Players may then make a play wager of a fixed amount or fold. Players who make the play wager are dealt additional cards or given the opportunity to discard cards and draw replacement cards, and the dealer is given the same opportunities. A rank of the dealer's hand must be of a predetermined rank or higher to qualify; otherwise, the player wins the wagers. The ante and play wagers are then resolved by comparing the player hands to the dealer hand, and the side wager is resolved by comparing the player hands to a pay table.
As yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,621,535, issued Nov. 24, 2009, to Spivey, discloses a variant of poker in which players place an ante wager against a dealer. Cards are dealt to each player and the dealer and players inspect their cards. Players may then place a play wager, which is added to the ante wager, to continue participation in the game, fold, or discard a card and draw a replacement card in exchange for paying a wager to the house.
A drawback to these prior games is that the betting structure and the inability for the players to improve their hand on a draw, in a game against a dealer, can result in players abandoning poor or marginal hands prior to making continuation wagers thus depriving the players of the entertainment value of the play as well as depriving the hosting casino or site from increased wagers and revenues. Further, in some prior art games dealer qualification is a requirement, which may detract from the game since a player with a strong hand has no opportunity to beat the dealer.